There are lots of link to remote objects embedded in documents for current editors, for example, URL link, Mail address link, document link. Current editors can display the link information but not the status of the remote object. When the editor user invokes another tool to operate on the link (open URL, send a mail, initiate a chat . . . ) the operations often fail because the remote object is not in proper states or lost at all. There are also other text strings in the document representing some objects, e.g. a social event, an address, a flight, etc., locating on some servers in the network.
It would be very helpful for the user to know the status and other metadata of the above remote object. The user can decide proper operation upon the object based on the status and other metadata of the object to reduce the probability of operation failure and effort wasting.
Currently most of the time, the user has to invoke another application for specific operation, and then input the name and other information of the object. So the user has to be very familiar with the tools on his/her machine to make use of them. Sometimes, there are some function is only rarely used, but users has to be familiar with these functions. This is inconvenient to users.
Microsoft OLE technology provides a method to update the embedded objects (not the link). This technology embeds the contents of the object to be processed in the current document. Obviously, the method needs a lot of system resource, and can not just display the updated metadata or status of the object dynamically.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,585,776 discloses an editor wherein links can be displayed. The editor could not provide useful information if the remote objects associated with the links are actually canceled or not exist.